Leonard George "Len" Gale (18 April 1897 – 25 June 1948) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played with Fitzroy in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL). Gale was one of many present and future footballers who fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He enlisted with the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

on 24 April 1917 and on November of that year embarked for overseas deployment. After serving as a Gunner with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade, Gale returned home in 1919. His football career was delayed by the war, but he would make his VFL debut in 1920, as a 23-year-old. Gale, who worked as a potterer, played his football as a rover. He was a rover in Fitzroy's 1922 premiership team, but started the game in a

forward pocket In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the gro ...

. The following year he kicked 26 goals, to finish second in the Fitzroy goal-kicking. He would likely have kicked more if not for a six-week suspension that he received in round 16, for attempting to strike St Kilda's fullback Bill Cubbins. This cost him a spot in the 1923 VFL Grand Final, which Fitzroy lost to

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club, in the Australian Football League *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington United Kin ...

. He looked to have played his last game for Fitzroy when he left for

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

in 1924, as playing coach. However, Gale returned for the 1924 VFL finals series and appeared in two semi finals. He was then made captain-coach of

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative cen ...

in 1925. Gale served his country again in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, enlisted in 1942 and being discharged in 1944. He died on 25 June 1948 at St Vincent's Hospital, from injuries sustained in a

hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there ma ...

accident the previous night in

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

.''The Argus'
"Accident Victim Identified"
26 June 1948, p. 3

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Len 1897 births 1948 deaths Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents Fitzroy Football Club players Fitzroy Football Club premiership players Echuca Football Club players Horsham Football Club players Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Road incident deaths in Victoria (state) Australian Army soldiers VFL/AFL premiership players 20th-century Australian sportsmen